Combined horn and return ball



J. 1. AND C. W. HOPPS.

COMBINED HORN AND RETURN BALL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1920- R v Patented May 9, 1922.

gimme/who'd WWW JOHN J. I-IOPIPS, OF LAWTON, OKLAHOMA, AND CARL W.HOPPS, OF WESTFIELI), NEW

FATEN F JERSEY.

COMBINED HORN AND RETURN BALL.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented May a, wee.

Application filed June 3, 1e20 Serial No. 386,342.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN J; Horns and CARL WV. I-lorPs, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Lawton and Westfield, in the counties ofComanche and Union, and States of Oklahoma and New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Combined Horns and Return Balls,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to an improvementin toys of the return ball type, the general object of theinvention'being to provide a combined horn and return ball soconstructed that the ball, when thrown, will be returned to positionwithin the horn.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that thereturn ball will be retained within the bell of the horn and thusnormally concealed from view although it may be readily thrown in anydirection by a swing of the horn in the same direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide for normal retention ofthe ball within the horn in such a manner as to not in any way interferewith blowing of the horn.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the horn as toprovide means for preventing the ball becoming tightly wedged Within thehorn or so filling or closing the horn as to prevent blowing of thelatter.

Another object of the invention is to so connect the elastic element ofthe device with the ball and horn that the said ball will be returnedinto the horn without the necessity of exercising skill, although theuse of the device in throwing the ball will infiuence one to exerciseskill in catching the ball within the horn without the ball striking theperiphery of the mouth or bell of the horn.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinalsection illustrating the device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig.1.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates in general a horn which may bemade of sheet metal or any other suitable material and which is for thegreater part of the usual straight tapered form. The horn is provided atits minor end with the usual reed 2 and with a mouthpiece?) which isfitted in any suitable manner to this end of the horn and which may beof wood or any other material found suitable for the purpose. Near itsouter or major end, the horn is formed with a bell 4 which is outwardlyclrcumferentially bulged in a more or less pronounced manner asindicated by the numeral 5 for a purpose to be presently explained.Beyond the bulge 5, the bell 4 is flared as at 6 to form the mouth 7 ofthe horn, the inner surface of the mouth 7 and the inner surface of thebulged portion 5 of the bell i merging on rounded lines as indicated bythe numeral 8.

The return ball heretofore referred to is indicated by the numeral 9 andthe same may be of rubber or any other material or a composition ofmaterials, and connected to this ball is one end of an elastic element10 which extends longitudinally within the horn and at its opposite endis threaded through an opening 11 formed in the said horn near the minorend thereof and either knotted or secured to a button 12- exteriorly ofthe horn so as to be secured in place at this end. The normal length ofthe element 1.0 is such that the ball 9 will rest within theconcavity'of the bulge 5 of the bell 4 as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings and as this bulge extends entirely circumferentially of thebell, the ball will occupy this positionregardless of the rotation ofthe horn to different positions about its longitudinal axis. Also whenthe ball occupies this normal position, it will be substantiallyconcealed from view and therefore more or less surprise will beoccasioned when the ball is thrown from the horn. T

It will be understood at this point that with the ball in its normalposition as shown in Fig. 1, the horn may be blown without interferenceon the part of the ball, the ball being of a diameter somewhat less thanthat of the bell at its bulged portion 5. When the ball is to be broughtinto play, the horn may be grasped and given a more or less sharpswinging or throwing motion with the hand in the direction which theball is to be thrown whereupon the ball will be forcibly ejected fromthe horn against the tension of the element 10 until the elasticity ofthis element overcomes the energy of the ball whereupon the said elasticelement will immediately act to return the ball in the general directionof the mouth of the horn, and inasmuch as the said elastic elementextends into the interior of the horn, the ball will finally be drawninto the bell of the horn through the mouth 7. The rounded surface 80fthe mouth will permit of the elastic element 10 riding in contacttherewith without likelihood of being worn or cut, and inasmuch as themouth is flared, the ball will be enabled to more readily passinto thebell than would otherwise be the case.

The ball will, of course, be somewhat forcibly returned to positionwithin the bell of the horn and may therefore be drawn into the horn toa position inwardly of the bell f and if the wall of the horn were oftrue conical form, it is probable that the ball would become wedged moreor less tightly within the horn thus not only requiring its dislodgmentbut likewise preventing blowing of the horn. In orderto overcome thisdifficulty we stamp or otherwise form in the wall of the horn anysuitable number of flutes 1.3 which extend longitudinally of the saidwall and which are preferably gradually increased in width and depthfrom their inner to their outer ends and have their said outer endsformed more or less blunt and deep as clearly illustrated in Fig. l ofthe drawings and as indicated by the numeral 14;. Thus the wider ends ofthe flutes are presented in the direction of the mouth end of the hornand effectually form abutments against which the return ball may strikewhen withdrawn into the horn by the elastic element 10 and thus bearrested in its movement andprevented from becoming wedged within thehorn, it being understood that the inner sides of the flutes at theirouter ends touch a circle of a diameter somewhat less than that of theball.

It will be understood that when the device is employed to bring intoplay the return ball, the horn will constitute a receiver for the saidball and that while we considerthe combination of the horn and ball tobe an exceptionally desirable one inasmuch as the horn serves not onlyits primary purpose but also the additional purpose of a receiver forthe ball, it will be understood that aside from this combination theinvention contemplates the general combination of a receiver, a returnball, and an elastic element connected with the balland extended intothe receiver and connected therewith.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a receiver of hollow tapered formprovided in teriorly near its major end with an abutment, a ball, and anelastic element connected withthe ball and extending into the receiverand connected therewith inwardly of the abutment, the receiver betweenits said end and the said abutment being formed with an outwardlycircumferentially bulged bell.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a horn providedin its wall with longitudinal flutes having ends "presented toward themouth end of the horn, a ball, and an elastic element connected with theball and extending into the horn and connected to the wall of the hornat a point inwardly of the said flutes, the ball being of a diametergreater than that of a circle touching the inner sides of the flutes andless than that of the horn adjacent the ends of the flutes.

3. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a horn provided in its wall with an outwardlycircumferentially bulged bell located near its major end, a ball, and anelastic element connected with the ball and extending into the horn andconnected to the wall thereof near. the minor end of the horn, the saidelastic element being of a normal length such as to enable the ball tonormally occupy a position within the concavity,

of the bulged bell, the wall of the horn-being provided withlongitudinal inwardly projecting flutes having ends presented toward themouth end of the horn and constituting a stop limiting the movement ofthe ball into the horn. v

In testimony whereof we atlix our signatures. I

JOHN J. IIOPPS. "[L.S.l CARL W. I-IOPPS. [1,. s.]

